A DC-DC converter includes: a first converter including a pass transistor coupled between the first node and a first output, and a body diode connected in parallel to the pass transistor; a sensor coupled between both ends of the pass transistor and which detects a driving current; and a second converter which outputs a second power voltage lower than the first power voltage to a second output. The second converter includes a master inverting converter which outputs the second power voltage independently of the driving current, a slave inverting converter which outputs the second power voltage when the driving current is greater than a predetermined threshold or when the input power voltage is greater than a predetermined boosting voltage limit, and an inverting converter controller which controls operations of the master and slave inverting converters in first and second drive modes based on the driving current and the input power voltage.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method of operating a DC-DC converter, the method comprising: controlling, when a start-up of the DC-DC converter is performed, a first converter to convert an input power voltage into a first power voltage; starting, after the first power voltage is output from the first converter, a detection of a driving current of a load to which the first power voltage is applied; controlling, after the first power voltage is output from the first converter, a master inverting converter to convert the input power voltage into a second power voltage lower than the first power voltage; controlling, when the driving current becomes greater than a predetermined threshold, a slave inverting converter to convert the input power voltage into the second power voltage; and controlling, when the driving current becomes smaller than or equal to the predetermined threshold, the slave inverting converter not to convert the input power voltage into the second power voltage.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the master inverting converter outputs the second power voltage independently of the driving current after the detection of the driving current is started.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a shedding period during which a change speed of an inductor current of the master inverting converter and a change speed of an inductor current of the slave inverting converter are lowered is activated when a drive mode changes from a first drive mode in which only the master inverting converter operates to a second drive mode in which both the master inverting converter and the slave inverting converter operate or from the second drive mode to the first drive mode.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein a first threshold is determined as the predetermined threshold in the first drive mode, and wherein a second threshold lower than the first threshold is determined as the predetermined threshold in the second drive mode.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first power voltage gradually increases during a soft start period as the first converter starts outputting the first power voltage after the start-up of the DC-DC converter is performed.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second power voltage gradually increases during a soft start period as the master inverting converter starts outputting the second power voltage after the first power voltage is output from the first converter.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second power voltage gradually increases during a soft start period as the master inverting converter and the slave inverting converter simultaneously start outputting the second power voltage after the first power voltage is output from the first converter.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first power voltage gradually decreases during a soft start period as the first converter ends outputting the first power voltage.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second power voltage gradually decreases during a soft start period as the master inverting converter ends outputting the second power voltage.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second power voltage gradually decreases during a soft start period as the master inverting converter and the slave inverting converter simultaneously end outputting the second power voltage.
11. A method of operating a DC-DC converter, the method comprising: controlling, when a start-up of the DC-DC converter is performed, a first converter to convert an input power voltage into a first power voltage; starting, after the first power voltage is output from the first converter, a monitoring of whether the input power voltage becomes greater than a predetermined boosting voltage limit; controlling, after the first power voltage is output from the first converter, a master inverting converter to convert the input power voltage into a second power voltage lower than the first power voltage; controlling, when the input power voltage becomes greater than the predetermined boosting voltage limit, a slave inverting converter to convert the input power voltage into the second power voltage; and controlling, when the input power voltage becomes smaller than or equal to the predetermined boosting voltage limit, the slave inverting converter not to convert the input power voltage into the second power voltage.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the master inverting converter outputs the second power voltage independently of the input power voltage after the monitoring of whether the input power voltage becomes greater than the predetermined boosting voltage limit is started.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein a shedding period during which a change speed of an inductor current of the master inverting converter and a change speed of an inductor current of the slave inverting converter are lowered is activated when a drive mode changes from a first drive mode in which only the master inverting converter operates to a second drive mode in which both the master inverting converter and the slave inverting converter operate or from the second drive mode to the first drive mode.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein a first boosting voltage limit is determined as the predetermined boosting voltage limit in the first drive mode, and wherein a second boosting voltage limit lower than the first boosting voltage limit is determined as the predetermined boosting voltage limit in the second drive mode.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first power voltage gradually increases during a soft start period as the first converter starts outputting the first power voltage after the start-up of the DC-DC converter is performed.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second power voltage gradually increases during a soft start period as the master inverting converter starts outputting the second power voltage after the first power voltage is output from the first converter.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second power voltage gradually increases during a soft start period as the master inverting converter and the slave inverting converter simultaneously start outputting the second power voltage after the first power voltage is output from the first converter.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first power voltage gradually decreases during a soft start period as the first converter ends outputting the first power voltage.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second power voltage gradually decreases during a soft start period as the master inverting converter ends outputting the second power voltage.
20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second power voltage gradually decreases during a soft start period as the master inverting converter and the slave inverting converter simultaneously end outputting the second power voltage.
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August 14, 2019
August 11, 2020
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